Car Sightings

[eolise]

Oh wow, thanks for the info, Mayfayre!
Coincidentely enough, I saw a Porche Carrera today when I went to therapy!
I defo should go there one day with my brother.

[amie8]

And..... Lambos, Ferrari's and Aston Martins the everyday shopping car in the village where you work... Jesus, I really should tell me brother he's got to go there one day...

I should emphasise that this is where I work and not where I live!

The southern parts of Essex have a reputation for being a bit flash, so lots of good cars - badly driven - down there.

The northern parts of Essex are populated more with wealthy farmers and displaced city stockbrokers, so lots of good cars - even more badly driven - up there.

I live and work in the north of Essex, so I have the privilege of being forced into a ditch by some very nice cars indeed.

[Vivienne]

I had to pick up some alfalfa for the horses and this green Jag sedan came hauling down the dirt road. I asked the young guy that loaded my bales into the car and he said it wasn't in very condition.

[pie]

Caterham alert!!

[dit]

Beautiful, beautiful Jag in a local car park.

[liverbird]

That looks like it is brand new, out of the toy box. Very nice. The only thing that spoils it is the stupid aerial.

[adrianmay]

Have you ever felt like the odd man out? I was sitting in the car line for pick up at my son’s elementary school and realized I might be “that guy”. I know nothing about car models, makes, years, options etc. all I can do is read the “badge” on the back. Though, I do think I can spot when your car’s better than my car.

To occupy myself, I made a short list of the cars in front of me in line. These AREN’T particularly fancy cars, with the exception of one. They’re just mom’s school run cars. It was also interesting that this is the US and there wasn’t one American car.

Lexus LX 470
Volvo V50 T5
Mercedes 550GL
Lexus RX 330
Range Rover Overfinch Supercharged
BMW 135i
Range Rover HSE

And behind me in the rearview mirror was a Black Bentley Continental GT. The only reason I know what that was is because it’s owned by a classmate of my son’s. I’d take a picture but that would be…um…awkward. I guess I can take solace in knowing his car and mine were made by the same parent company…yeah OK…maybe not. Sadly, I think these people are spending more on their cars than their kid’s education. *gets off soap box*

[dit]

You make a good point about cars vs education, very valid, though it also has to be said that at least you have something pretty to look at when you're waiting in line!

[eolise]

Oh wow, Dit, that JAAAAAG!!

[Wyvern]

I had a different type of car spotting day yesterday - I drove ten different cars! None of them were particularly flash, but some of them were very good.

In no particular order, I drove the new Kia Picanto (basic, but very well priced, felt sensible and well made and a good all-round supermini with pleasantly light steering), the Citroen DS3 (Beautifully designed and finished, but I didn't like the feel of the eco-engine; it didn't feel sharp enough to me, which was disappointing as it's a favourite of mine. Alas, I'd go for the bigger, more conventional engine and that would be great), the all-electric Renault Kangoo van (nice enough, for a van, and with the full-range torquiness you get from electrics. Surprisingly good visibility), the FWD version of the Volvo XC60 DRIVe (solid, well made, could fit a small army of kids in, great driving position - though annoyingly, this and the Kangoo, the two largest and most ungainly cars of the day, were the only ones I ended up having to reverse park - badly ), the Volvo C30 DRIVe (I can't explain why, but I just really liked it - funky looks, lots of space, solid but responsive), the Mitsubishi i-Miev (great fun - I have to admit I love the feel of small electric cars, and this one was nippy, comfortable and incredibly nimble, as well as having the most outrageous red leather interior, and the steering felt a bit more decisive than the Leaf I drove a while back), the Honda CR-Z (a sporty hybrid that feels taut and squirty, responsive and direct and definitely not boring, though the rear visibility leaves a bit to be desired, and the low driving position played havoc with my knackered back), the Toyota iQ (amazing use of space and remarkably good handling, this really impressed me and was thoroughly entertaining), the Vauxhall Ampera, a range-extended electric car so new it isn't available yet (quiet and relaxing, I'd have preferred slightly firmer steering but it feels grown-up in a way that a lot of eco-cars don't, and I think that's at least in part down to its size. A lot more sensible that the slightly futuristic styling would suggest) and my star of the day, the Fiat 500 Twin Air (there was nothing I didn't like about it - it is literally the happiest car in the world. The little two cylinder engine chatters away, and the bendy bits of the track were loads of fun - it always felt predictable, which made chucking it at corners very enjoyable. I need this car in my life).

The opportunity to do all this came about at EcoVelocity, London's first low-carbon motoring show, which meant that all the cars on display were the more environmentally aware offerenings from various manufacturers, with clever conventional engines, hybrids and electrics all available in abundance. Unusually, pretty much everyone displaying had cars available to test-drive, something you don't often get at car shows, and because the event was outdoors, in the shadow of Battersea Power Station, they'd set up a nice little handling track around the event perimeter. I also tried out a Segway and rode a moped for the first time in over 18 years. This was a MASSIVE deal to me as 18 years ago I was in an ankle to hip cast, having had a very big crash that left me terrified of cars, bikes and everything else, and I've not been back on since.

I'm going back tomorrow to see what else I can play with ;D

[dit]

Sounds like an amazing day!

Not a sighting, more a 'listening', but on "You and Yours" on Radio 4 yesterday they stated that the sale of electric cars in the UK went up by three times in August - from 11 to 34! Not taking off in a big way, then.

[Vivienne]

Somewhere on my trip I'm going to be driving a Kia Picanto. I think it might be Ireland. I used to have a Kia Sephia. It was ok, got you where you were going.

[TheDaisy]

I saw something today that put a big lump of joy inot my heart.



A Toyota Prius.....on the back of a pick up truck ;D Nearly pee'd myself laughing.

[jacqui]

A day for car spotting - i saw this, this afternoon, very very nice, right up my street ;D




Astom Martin DB6 MK2 Vantage - very very very nice and just my colour ;D

[devil-may-care]

Now that is gorgeous, Jacqui!! ;D ;D I don't suppose you took it with you and gave it a good home! ;D

[jacqui]

Was very tempted That really would have to be top of my shoppinf list should I ever win the lottery ;D

[devil-may-care]

Sept 9, 2011 19:07:01 GMT jacqui said:

Was very tempted That really would have to be top of my shoppinf list should I ever win the lottery ;D

Especially that color!! ;D

[eshalda]

That must be British racing green.A fabulous car and a fabulous colour.

[Wyvern]

*sigh*

That car is absolutely beautiful. What a spot!

[jmsquared]

Jacqui, the Aston, superb! And I am quite fond of the Jag Dit saw also. *dreams...*

[dit]

Stunning car, jacqui - were you not tempted to drape yourself fetchingly over the bonnet and wait for the owner to turn up?

Speaking of beautiful cars, did anyone watch The One Show last night? They had Roger Moore on, talking about The Persuaders (40th Anniversary/DVD boxed set/usual schtick) and there was a smile on my face for three reasons:

1. Roger Moore is extremely witty
2. Made me think about The Interceptors, which creases me with laughter every time I watch it
3. The cars......the cars....... They found Brett Sinclair's original for Moore to sit in



Original series




Can anyone enlighten me on which models they are? (And I don't mean the birds in the bell-bottoms!)

[jacqui]

The baby poo coloured one (sorry the colour is shocking) is a Aston Martin DBS with V8 wheels the red one is a Dino 246 GT ;D

As for draping myself on the bonnet of the AM in gorgeous racing green, i thought about a lot of things but not the owner ;D

[dit]

I thought the red one might have been a Dino. When I was young and living at home, the girl next door had a boyfriend with one of those. He wasn't that good-looking, but his car was!

I wonder what name they actually gave to the colour of the DB5 (I always mix up my DBs!) They could hardly have called it "Baby Poo"!

[devil-may-care]

Butterscotch??

[jacqui]

I think baby poo is better ;D

[dit]

I must be on a roll at the moment. This afternoon, on a shopping expedition I saw the following:

Bentley Continental GT (black), very new and shiny
Audi R8 (silver)
Jaguar XKR Coupe (black), also very new and shiny

Very tasty indeed!

[Wyvern]

I went back to the low-carbon car show today. Changed my mind about the DS3 - I think I'd prefer a different engine, but it felt fine today. I think perhaps I was just expecting it to be a little perkier and I'd just driven a very sharp little electric car. Without that comparison, it was really nice.

Anyway, walking back to the station afterwards, it was clear the world had had enough of all this low carbon malarkey. In quick succession, I saw two R8s (one of them was a V10, the other had an iridescent white paint job with black sideblades and a black roof), a Maserati Granturismo, Ferraris 599 and California, a Rolls-Royce Phantom belonging to the Savoy and a Porsche Panamera ;D

[dit]

Whew!

[amie8]

I also saw an R8 V10 today in white (or, as it's past midnight, yesterday)

Trouble was, it was parked in the car park of my local garden centre, which is a problem for really cool cars. They look superb displayed in a showroom, or cruising along the open road, but they look a wee bit daft parked outside Tescos.

[eolise]

Oh wow, I envy you guys, I want to see the R8 very badly!!! I only see a Porsche now and then Oh and of course the Ferrari in my street (A)